- Gab Sutton is a football expert who specialises in the Sky Bet EFL.
After every weekend of action, he builds an EFL Team of the Week and picks out a Sporting Life Star performer.
Goalkeeper
Owen Goodman (Colchester): Danny Cowley got his first victory as Colchester boss on Saturday, a 1-0 win at Morecambe, and it was Owen Goodman’s penalty save from Ged Garner that secured the points.
More moments like that from the on-loan Crystal Palace goalkeeper will be key to the U’s bid to secure their EFL status for another season.
Defenders
Macauley Southam-Hales (Stockport County): Stockport had the funds to sign another right-back with Kyle Knoyle injured, but the fact they haven’t was a real show of faith in Macauley Southam-Hales.
The 27-year-old rewarded that faith by grabbing two assists in a 5-1 demolition of Doncaster, the first from a looping corner right into the danger zone for Paddy Madden to nod home, before yielding the same result in the second half by playing a one-two with Connor Lemonheigh-Evans to drive forward and cross into the box.
Conor McCarthy (Swindon Town): Swindon conceded 54 goals in their first 28 games, giving them the third-worst defensive record in League Two, but in the first game Conor McCarthy plays, they keep a clean sheet. Coincidence? We think not.
The 25-year-old hasn’t had the playing time he wanted at Barnsley since signing from St Mirren in 2022, but has certainly adapted to life at the County Ground quickly.
Carl Piergianni (Stevenage): Carl Piergianni could get into this team for his header, alone, which drew Stevenage level at Wigan before Louis Thompson’s late winner gave them a 3-2 victory.
The 31-year-old ran away from goal to meet Nick Freeman’s cross, made contact from the far side of the six-yard box and, with as many as eight opposition players in that zone, he had the stunning vision to loop his header into the far corner.
One might describe it as artistry, in its own way – we’ve never seen David Silva do that…
Zac Ashworth (Bolton): Zac Ashworth has fresh competition for the left wing-back spot, after Nathanael Ogbeta joined Wanderers in the week. But sometimes new competition can inspire a player to find another gear.
Amd while Ogbeta rounded off the scoring in a 4-1 victory at Carlisle after coming on in injury-time, Ashworth thrived from the start with a goal and an assist.
The West Brom loanee met a searching, long-range Josh Sheehan diagonal in the box with a striking volley, with both his feet in the air, before laying off for Paris Maghoma to bag the second.
Midfielders
Kamil Conteh (Bristol Rovers): Kamil Conteh was poached from Grimsby for £300,000, which was £50k more than his release clause, but Bristol Rovers fans won’t mind too much about the wasted extra cash if the midfielder continues to produce performances like the one on his debut.
The 21-year-old ran the show for the Gas against Oxford, intercepting loose passes, keeping the ball ticking over, and showing himself to be hugely press-resistant with his ball-progressing qualities, which he’d established both at Blundell Park and at Gateshead under Mike Williamson.
Ali Smith (Colchester): Another midfield debutant caught the eye in the EFL on Saturday, this one in Sky Bet League Two, where Ali Smith helped Colchester to their first victory of Danny Cowley’s reign.
Midfield has been a problematic area for the U’s this season, with only Arthur Read finding consistency, but Smith’s strong, athletic presence has seen him make an instant impression, and he could be crucial to the high-pressing game Cowley wants from his sides, which is in evidence straight away.
Jack Aitchison (Exeter): A disappointing three months led Exeter into a precarious situation, but since coming from behind to earn a point at Stevenage in December, they’ve picked up. It’s 14 points from the last eight for Gary Caldwell’s side, whose post-Christmas improvement has seen them climb to the more favourable position of 14th.
In the absence of an experienced centre-forward, which they’re hoping to recruit in the window’s remaining days, attacking midfielder Jack Aitchison has been central to their attacking productivity, and the former Celtic man was outstanding in the 2-1 victory at Barnsley. He showed neat feet, both to fire home the opener, then tee up Reece Cole to curl in the second.
🌟 Nick Powell (Stockport County): We’ve been waiting six months for Nick Powell to turn up to Stockport’s League Two party, and at last he’s finally arrived.
Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry is out until the run-in, and while Powell is a midfielder rather than a forward and at a different stage of his career, there is a window for him to become the main man in this team and provide that sprinkling of individual stardust.
Powell has shown glimpses of quality at Edgeley Park, but Saturday’s 5-1 victory at Doncaster was his classiest showing by miles.
Matt Smith (Salford): If you’d asked AI to produce a Matt Smith hat-trick, it would have literally crafted the one in Saturday’s 3-2 victory at Crewe.
Karl Robinson has a reputation for possession-heavy football, and there have been occasions when his previous teams have wanted to keep the ball at all costs, not even crossing it when they’ve had two target men on the pitch.
At Salford, though, Robinson has been pragmatic enough to adapt to what’s available, and coax the best out of a somewhat imbalanced squad – and more contributions like that from Smith will certainly help him achieve phase one of his mission, which is to secure the Ammies’ EFL status.
Paddy Madden (Stockport County): We don’t often associate Paddy Madden’s career with headed goals – more so cool finishes, smart link-up play and a strong work ethic – but the Irishman nodded home two in Stockport’s 5-1 win at Doncaster.
Sure, quality deliveries help because he’s not a target man, but fair play to the experienced forward for developing new dimensions in his game even at 33, which speaks volumes for manager Dave Challinor’s capabilities when it comes to improving individuals.
And speaking of managers…
Manager
Gary Caldwell (Exeter): Former Cambridge United boss Mark Bonner said in a recent interview that managers create a rod for their own back when their sides start brilliantly in a difficult looking season.
Everyone starts looking at the league table long before it becomes relevant, so rather than seeing a good start as accumulating a healthy points tally nice and early, it becomes “we’re top of the league” or “we’re in the top six”, which can cultivate lofty, premature expectations.
That may have been the case at Exeter, who have never been in the bottom four, but it caused panic when they dropped “from first to 20th”. The truth is, this was always going to be a testing campaign, with difficult periods, after key departures.
Gary Caldwell has guided the club through this campaign, including those difficult periods, with great dignity and integrity, and should take a lot of credit for his side’s recent form, even without the club having strengthened up top – the area he described as crucial before the January window.
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